A million barrels of oil transferred in silence, soldiers deployed at the front and military exchanges that defy international sanctions. This is the heart of an invisible, but powerful and operational, alliance between Russia And North Korea. A pact that fuels the war in Ukraine and deeply worries the international community.
According to a report published by Reutersbetween March and November 2024, the Russia has supplied over a million barrels of oil to the North Koreaviolating the sanctions imposed by the Security Council of United Nationswhich limit Pyongyang to a maximum of 500,000 barrels of refined products per year. This massive flow has been tracked and documented since British Open Source Centrewhich analyzed 43 voyages made by North Korean oil tankers between the Russian port of Vostochny and North Korean ports.
The operations, captured by satellite images and recorded through the AIS (Automatic Identification System), show a precise pattern: the ships arrived empty in Russia and left loaded towards Pyongyang. The frequency and regularity of transport, with an average of almost one trip per week, highlights a well-organised flow, often carried out with trackers turned off to evade international controls.
“Since March, we have been observing a steady flow. Oil tankers reach Russia almost every week, silently,” he said Joe Byrnesenior analyst of British Open Source Centrecited by BBC. Byrne he also underlined how these supplies represent a crucial element for Pyongyang, guaranteeing economic stability that the country has not seen since the introduction of sanctions.
These numbers include trips that occurred with trackers turned off, a method used to evade international controls. The report highlights that oil supplies represent a crucial resource for North Koreaensuring economic stability and the support necessary to fuel its military and government apparatus. Despite the overwhelming evidence, the Russian Foreign Ministry and a United Nations spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment, according to Reuters.
As previously highlighted, the collaboration between Moscow and Pyongyang is not limited to oil, but includes significant military cooperation. There North Korea made over 12,000 soldiers available to support Russian operations in Ukraine. These contingents, stationed in the Kursk region, near the Ukrainian border, played a key role, offering logistical support and, in various circumstances, taking an active part in the fighting. An involvement that confirms Pyongyang’s growing contribution to the conflict scenario.
The pact between the two authoritarian regimes found further confirmation last June, during the visit of Vladimir Putin in North Koreawhen a mutual defense agreement was signed, subsequently ratified by the Duma. Vassily NebenzyaRussian ambassador to the UN, declared in this regard: “Military interactions between Russia and North Korea do not violate international law”.
Shin Won SikSouth Korea’s national security chief, revealed to the media that the Russia it has compensated Pyongyang with anti-aircraft missiles and advanced military technology. “There is evidence of technological support for North Korea’s satellite program”, he declared Shinreferring to Pyongyang’s recent failed attempts to launch a spy satellite.
The growing collaboration between Moscow and Pyongyang has generated alarm on an international scale. David LammyBritish Foreign Secretary, interviewed by BBCstressed: “This illegal flow of oil and weapons supports an already dangerous regime and poses a threat to global stability”. Along the same lines, the Ukrainian president Vladimir Zelenskyin an interview with New York Timescalled North Korean involvement “a dangerous escalation,” adding: “We cannot underestimate the consequences of this alliance, which demonstrates how far Russia is willing to go to maintain its war against Ukraine.”
The most worrying aspect concerns military and nuclear technologies. Katarzyna Zyskprofessor of International Relations and Contemporary History at the Norwegian Institute of Defense Studies, told TV2 Norway: “This pact strengthens the country’s nuclear ambitions North Korea and puts decades of nonproliferation efforts at risk.”. Washington fears that Pyongyang will use these technologies to develop more precise ballistic missiles and multiple independent warheads (MIRVs), increasing the threat to the Asia-Pacific region.
The United States and the South Korea have established a joint task force to monitor and counter illegal oil trafficking to Pyongyang. However, as reported by BBCthe effectiveness of these measures depends on the ability of the international community to respond in a coordinated manner. “This is not just a regional problem, but a global threat that requires a united response”, said a spokesperson for the US State Department.
The alliance between Russia And North Korea represents a direct challenge to the international order. The flow of oil, soldiers and military technologies forms a tangle of interests that not only fuels the war in Ukraine, but also risks destabilizing the Asia-Pacific. The international community faces a critical choice: act decisively or risk this collaboration between authoritarian regimes further strengthening their arsenals, with potentially devastating consequences for global stability.
